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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28393485">Ghosts of Christmases Past</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/astudyinfic/pseuds/astudyinfic'>astudyinfic</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Holidays 2020 [28]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Cut &amp; Run - Madeleine Urban &amp; Abigail Roux</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M, Never let Digger plan your vacation, Not Beta Read, Sidewinder shenanigans</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 15:15:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,276</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28393485</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/astudyinfic/pseuds/astudyinfic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>They don't speak of the Christmas of 2007.  For good reason.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Team Sidewinder - Relationship, Zane Garrett/Ty Grady</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Holidays 2020 [28]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2036116</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Ghosts of Christmases Past</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>
  <b>Day 28: Sled</b>
</p>
<p>Prompts can be found <a href="https://astudyinfic.tumblr.com/post/635866337200259072/decided-it-was-time-for-a-new-holiday-prompt-list">here</a>.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Dec 2003, Alaska</strong>
</p>
<p>"You did what?" Sanchez asked as Digger stood in front of them, bags in hand. "I could not have possibly heard you right."</p>
<p>Digger grinned and shoved the bags at him. "You heard it all right. Put these on. I have a plan."</p>
<p>The team exchanged sideways glances as they thought about that. Generally speaking, the only plans that tended to be worse than Diggers were Kelly's. They were both dangerous and idiotic but Kelly took extreme to a new level. Most of the team thought he'd have been a daredevil if he hadn't gone into the service. </p>
<p>Though, being on Team Sidewinder was pretty much the same thing.</p>
<p>Digger, after seeing the glances, rolled his shoulders back and glared at them. "It will be fun. Don't ya'll trust me?"</p>
<p>One would think they would know better after all those years but, it turns out, they did not.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Dec 2015, Baltimore</strong>
</p>
<p>While waiting for the guys to arrive, Zane flipped through a photo album Ty had pulled out for the occasion. Each page was dedicated to a Christmas from years past and Zane enjoyed watching Ty grow and mature over the years. Pictures of him with his family, Ty and Deuce as kids. Pictures of him with part or all of Sidewinder. Zane smiled when he saw one of the two of them and their first Christmas together. Ty had been through so much but in every single one of the pictures, he was smiling. </p>
<p>Flipping backward, Zane paused. The book went from 2006 to 2008 to 2010. In 2009 they were locked up on a cruise ship, so that explained why there was nothing there. But 2007? Why would Ty skip that one? Was he undercover? He wouldn't have deployed yet. It must have been because of work, though that rarely seemed to stop him from celebrating the holiday any other year. </p>
<p>"Hey, doll?" Zane called, smiling when Ty looked into the room. "What happened to 2007? Why don't you have pictures from that year?"</p>
<p>Ty's face hardened, his shoulders stiffened and he shook his head. "We don't talk about that Christmas, Zane. Ever."</p>
<p>He disappeared back into the other room. </p>
<p>If he thought Zane wouldn't investigate that further, then he didn't know Zane very well at all.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Dec 2007, Alaska</strong>
</p>
<p>Everyone ready?" Digger asked, looking them over from head to toe. They'd all donned the festive sweaters he bought for them with a minimal amount of whining and were ready for whatever the next stage in Digger's plan might be.</p>
<p>"No, we're not ready because you still haven't told us what we're doing." Owen was the one complaining, but he only said what they all were thinking.</p>
<p>Digger grinned, "That's because it's a surprise!"</p>
<p>They all glanced between each other before Eli finally spoke up. "Digger, no offense but last time you had a surprise for us, it was gator nuggets and a beverage that robbed me of my sense of taste for a week."</p>
<p>"I promise, there is no food involved this time. And the gator nuggets were good, you have to admit that."</p>
<p>They didn't have to admit anything, though none of them really disliked them. That wasn't the point. Still, they followed Digger down the road, each of them wondering what they were getting themselves into. </p>
<p>When they stopped in front of a random building at the end of the street, Digger turned and held out his arms. "We're going sledding. Don't get a lot of snow on the bayou and I've never done this before."</p>
<p>Digger was right. That wasn't a bad surprise. </p>
<p>Digger was also wrong. It was far, far worse.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Dec 2015, Baltimore</strong>
</p>
<p>Zane did some preliminary google searches for areas he knew Ty had once lived. In 2007, he would have already been in Baltimore but that didn't mean he hadn't gone to visit old stomping grounds or spend time with one of the other members of Sidewinder. But nothing came up in his searches that made him think Ty was involved. </p>
<p>It had to be Sidewinder, though. If it was something involving the Grady's, Zane rather thought one of them would have said something to him by now. Which meant he had four witnesses he could interrogate to try and get an answer.</p>
<p>The first, and most logical, place to start was Nick.</p>
<p>
  <em>{text; Nick} Hey, question for you.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>{Nick} Sure, what can I do for you?</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>{text; Nick} What happened on Christmas, 2007?</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>{Nick} Nope.</em>
</p>
<p>Zane stared at it for a moment. At least Nick confirmed that Sidewinder was involved, even if he hadn't intended to. So, he tried someone else. </p>
<p>
  <em>{text; Kelly} What happened on Christmas, 2007?</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>{Kelly} I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>{text; Kelly} You could try.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>{Kelly} I'd succeed. But then I'd have to listen to Ty whining so, no.</em>
</p>
<p>Grumbling, Zane tried the next one on his list.</p>
<p>
  <em>{text; Owen} What happened on Christmas, 2007?</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>{Owen} If Six won't tell you why do you think I would?}</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>{Owen} Some things are best left in the past, Garrett.</em>
</p>
<p>And then there was one.</p>
<p>
  <em>{text; Digger} What happened on Christmas, 2007?</em>
</p>
<p>It took a moment, but Zane grinned when he got the reply.</p>
<p>
  <em>{Digger} Let me tell you a story.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Dec 2003, Alaska</strong>
</p>
<p>The screaming still echoed in Ty's ears from time to time. All he could see were flames and destroyed buildings, and that one cat that must have lost about five of its lives from fright. </p>
<p>They all asked themselves the same question when by some miracle they survived. "Why didn't we think that Digger would somehow modify the sled?"</p>
<p>According to the police record, they were clocked at 67 miles per hour through downtown North Pole, Alaska. Witnesses claimed they couldn't believe a sled could actually go that fast. </p>
<p>Burns managed to pull some strings and keep it off their public record, a miracle in and of itself. As was the fact that no one was hurt and the property damage was minimal. </p>
<p>The same could not be said for the emotional toll. Sidewinder had seen a lot in their days, had experienced things no person should. None of that prepared them for the utter terror of being on a sled at lightning speeds, driven by a madman from the Bayou cackling in delight. </p>
<p>"We never speak of this again," they agreed and shared dark looks whenever Christmas 2007 was mentioned. It was best to pretend that never happened. </p>
<p>And it would never happen again. That night, they swore Digger would never be allowed to plan Sidewinder holiday functions from them on. </p>
<p>
  <strong>Dec 2015, Baltimore</strong>
</p>
<p>"How did all six of you fit on a sled?" Zane called out once he finished reading Digger's texts (and finished laughing himself silly). </p>
<p>Ty came out of the room and pointed at him, menacing glare firmly in place. "We don't speak of it, Garrett! Ever! But, for the record, it was more of a sleigh than a sled. And he put rocket boosters or something like that on the back without any of us knowing. We're not allowed back in North Pole Alaska ever again. Pretty sure our pictures are hanging on the most-wanted board at the post office."</p>
<p>"Aw, Sidewinder is on North Pole's naughty list?"</p>
<p>Ty just huffed and disappeared back down the hall. Zane sat there for a moment before getting up to follow. If that wasn't enough to get Ty on the naughty list, Zane was pretty sure he had some ideas that would all but assure their place on it. And he planned to get started on that, right now.</p>
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